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Should the FDA Relax Rules on Compassionate Access to New Drugs?

Supporters of softening the rules say the dying deserve easier access to possible cures. Opponents say delays are caused by drugmakers, not the FDA.

April 11, 2017 10:02 p.m. ET

A patient faces a potentially fatal illness, and the treatments available just aren’t working. Should he or she be allowed to turn to a drug that hasn’t been approved? And if so, how easy should it be to obtain it?

It’s an emotionally charged question that has swirled around the Food and Drug Administration for years.